Car-underframe.



PATENTE-SEPT. 24, 1907.

ff D Z W F RICHARDS GAR UNDBRFRAME.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. a1, 1901.

PATENTE; SEPT. 24, 1907. y

W F RICHARDS GAR UNDBRPRAMB. APPLIUATIONHLED JAN'. a1. 1907.

ffy/venan v ,-Mirzegses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLRD F. RICHARDS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY,V

OF NEW YORK, N. Y. I

GARLUNDERFRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

-1 atentedsept.24, 19o?.

To all whom it may cncem:

Be it known that I, -WILLAR-D F. RICHARDS, a citizen f theUnited Statearesiding'I at Buffalo, inthe county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Underframes, of which the following Vis a specification.-

This invention relates more especially to metallic under-frames for railway passenger cars' in which the buing gear or resistance mechanism for the car buffer is arranged between and supported by the longitudinal supporting sills or beams of the car platform. The car platform is ordinarily arranged on a lower plane than the floor of the car body, and in order to secure this re sult if the center sills of the under frame extend continnous-ly to the outer ends of the platforms, the portions thereof which support the platforms must be reduced in height, and where flanged-metal beams are employed for lthe center sills it is necessary to cut away the upper flanges o f the sills, which greatly/'weakens them and un fits them for withstanding the strains .thrown upon `them by the' bung gear which they support. `This is especially so in the case of buing mechanisms which produce lateral or sidewise strains in resisting the iin-' pacts or shocks on the buffer whichare primarily in a longitudinal direction of the car. lSuch action is true of friction buffers having 'wedge blocks to resist the longit'udinal movenmnt of the buffer by the lateral pressure and conseolnent,` friction thereof on coperating friction surfaces.`

longitudinal center sills beneath the platform which is firmly fastened to these sills and securely ties theml together, at the same time furnishing a containing box or housing for the buffing gear. ,This gear frame or 'begr is also preferably supplemented by flanged or angle bars arranged longitudinally on the outer sides of the center sills'at their` upper portions and securely fastened to the sills and said gear frame or box.

vIn the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets: Figure l is a fragmentary 'planview of one end of a c'ar under-frame and bung apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal central sectional elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof,

omitting the buffer head. Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sectional elevations thereof in line's 4-4 and 5-5, re- 'spectiA/ely, Fig. 2.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the sevleral figures.

A and B represent', respectively, the two center sills.

and intermediate longitudinal sills, C .the caiend sill,

and D the platform end sill of a lmetallic under-frame or structure for railway passenger cars; E the car buffer head, and F the main bufng gear or resistance mechansills and channel beams for the intermediate longitu dinal and cross-sills. The particular .flanged shapes employed for the sills, however, are not of consequence so far as the invention is concerned. The center sills, however, which are of greater height between the car end-sills than the other sills, have the upper portions of their webs and upper flanges cut away between the car-end-sill and platform-end-sill, so that the plane of the platform floor will be'lower lthan the fioor of the car body. 4

The buffer head, as usual, is supported by'cente-r and side stems e and e', respectively, which are pivoted to the buffer head and pass thronghlsuitable guide bearings on the under-frame. The bung gear or resistance mechanism acts upon'these stems to re- 4 sist the inward movements of the buffer head and to.y normally hold'the head straight orat right angles to the length of the car while allowingit to assume an oblique positiom The buihng gear shown comprises the main friction resistance mechanism F, before mentioned, located between the center sills and coperi ating with the central or main buffer stem ,Aand the usual Asprings f surrounding the side buffer stems e betweeny the guide brackets f f2 for said side stems.

The main friction mechanism employed is of known constructionand -it is sufficiei t for the purpose of this invention to state that it embodies coperating wedge blocks in frictionalcontact, one or more of -which move with' the ,central buffer stem when it lis forced inwardly, thereby creating lateral pressure on the cooperating block or blocks and producing friction which resists the movement of the buffer. This` lat- .eral pressure is enormous and must be resisted-l by the frame or-structiire supporting the buffer. gear.

A s already stated, the center sills, between which the friction mechanism is located, are weakened by the removal of'their upper flanges` and, unless braced, t

will be sprung or deflected by the lateral pressure 'of 100 the friction mechanism. The center-sillsare therefore braced or tied together inthe following mannegtz. G represents aframe, box or housing, preferably made in a single integral casting, .which is located in the rectangular space between the center vsills and the 105 platform and car end sills. This gear box or frame supports and contains the main or friction resistance mechanism, being madeof suitable form for this purpose, depending upon the construction of the re- -sistance mechanism. The gearbox or frame illus- 110 sti l trated rests on the bottom flanges of the center sills,V

it has side Walls g which are securelyiastened by bolts or the like g to the vertical webs of the center sills, upright end Walls g? g3 which 'abut against the car and platform end sills, anda bottom g4 joining these upright Walls. The box also has upright longitudinal and transverse intermediate walls or Webs g5 and g which are located so as to give the requisite strength andl rigidity to the box or frame and provide chambers of the proper shape, size and location for the parts of the resistance mechanism. The disposition of these walls or Webs will be determined by the construction of the resistance mechanism which is employed. This gear box or frame transmits' the lshocks due lto bufng to the.1ongitudinai and transverse sills of the under-frame but at the same time ties the center sills together, thus preventing any deflection thereof and greatly adding to the strength and rigidity of the platform portion of the structure. A cover plate H is preferably provided for the box or frame vGr on which it is removably retained by shitable vertical bolts h, Figs. 1 and, so as to prevent displacement of the parts of the. resistance mechanism but Vafford ready access thereto. The reduced portions of the center sills are further strengthened by flanged bars I, preferably angle-bars, secured on the outer sides thereof along the upper edges of the beam Webs. As shown, these anglebars are secured by the bolts g used ior connecting the center sills and the gear bo'x or frame G. The rear guide brackets f2 for4 the buier side stems are also shown as secured on the outer sides of the center sills by a portion of these .saine bolts. 'ihe under-frame constructed as described will afconstruction would be desirable for any buffer and platform support where great strength and rigidity are essential.-

I claim as my invention:

1. In an under-frame for cars, the combination with the car end-siii and platform end-sill, of center-sills having integral portions thereof between said car and platform 'end-sills reduced in height, and a supporting frame or box for a buiing gear arranged between and rigidly secured to said reduced portions of the centersllls, substantially as set forth. f i

2. In an under-frame for cars, the combination with the car end-sills, ofnietal center-sills extending continuously from vone end to vthe other of 4the under-frame beyond the car end-sills, and a frame or box between und rigidly seured to said center-sills beyond the car end-sills for supporting a hufling gear, substantially as set forth.

3; In an under-frame for cars, the combination with the l car end-sills, of'metal center-sills extending continuously from one end to the other of the under-frame and having end portions beyond the car end-sills reduced in height, and a frame or- ,liox between and rigidly secured to said reduced en dv portions of the center-sills for supporting a hurling gear, substantially as set forth.

4. In an under-frame for cars, the combination with the car endsiils and the platform end-sills, of metal centersills extendingr continuously from one to the other ot thc platform end-sills and having portions between said car and platform endvsills reduced in height, and u supporting frame or box for a hufiing gear between and rigidly secured to said reduced portions of the centeusiils and abutting at opposite ends against said car and platform endsilis, substantially as set forth.

5. In an under-frame for cars, thc combination with`the car endsill and platform endsill, of center-sills having integral portions thereof between said cnr and platform end-sills reduced in height, a supper-tim,r frame or box for n huflne; gear arranged between and rigidly secured to said reduced portions of the center-sills, and flanged hars rigidly secured on the outer sides of said reduced portions of the center-sills, substantially as s et forth.

Witness my hand, this 26th day of January, 15107. 

